


Let Me Be Your Porch Light

by swilliams1234



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Cannon Divergence, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-03
Updated: 2017-09-07
Packaged: 2018-12-23 12:38:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11989959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swilliams1234/pseuds/swilliams1234
Summary: Jason and Polly use their siblings as covers so they can spend more time with each other, by default Betty and Cheryl start spending more time together too. Things ensue.There obviously needs to be more writings of these two so I'm contributing to the cause, as cringy as it might be. Maybe it'll inspire better writers to write more pics with these two together.





	1. The Drive In

**Author's Note:**

> This won't be a slow-burn. I'm not patient enough for that.

If you wanted to know, Betty Cooper could tell the circumstances under which any one of her current friendships came to be and it would go something like this; Archie Andrews, the sweet boy next door, had been her closest friend for as long as she can remember. Jughead Jones, a cordial associate for years due only to his friendship with Archie. Until they started writing for the Blue&Gold together, then both of their inquisitive minds and how far they would go for a story fostered a closer, deeper friendship. Kevin Keller, weaseled his way into her life into her life when he was freshly out of the closet and had curiosities about Betty’s, “hot redheaded” friend Archie and just the type of people he preferred. This of course was before his radar for such matters had fully developed. However, his support of Betty and vice versa, caused them to keep the friendship that had been initiated on ulterior motives. Veronica Lodge, the confident new girl who was determined to be friends with Betty when they first met, just a few days before freshman year started and has only continued to prove her kindness and loyalty since then. 

However, Betty could not yet give you a good explanation for what developed between herself and the bombshell Cheryl Blossom. 

It all started with Polly Cooper and Jason Blossom. Although they never hid their relationship from their parents when they started dating in March, it became difficult to spend time together as Polly’s parents gave her a strict curfew and let her go out less and less. If they could not stop the relationship between their daughter and the son of their enemies, they could at least control how often she got to see him. Jason’s parents would not do the same to their golden child but they were expressive when it came to him seeing Polly. 

It became easier both of them to lie to their parents about where they were going and what they were doing. To pull it off, they each used their respective siblings as covers. Polly got an extended curfew whenever she was with Betty, their parents that Betty’s goodness would rub off on her. For the Blossoms, much of the tension at Thornhill was relieved when Jason was not leaving to hang out with Polly but rather Cheryl, his parents were eager to get her out of the house so she was not wreaking havoc there.

And so it started, but the point at which the line between being civil because they were good siblings and being something more, developing some kind of relationship is blurred. It was a gradual path and Betty couldn’t say where it began and where it ended. Cheryl couldn’t either for that matter.

The first time that Betty and Cheryl agreed to this arrangement was the first Friday after school had been released for the summer. Polly, Jason, and Cheryl had just completed their sophomore year and Betty had finished her freshman year. It was a celebratory date for the couple, for Betty it was to go see the Nicholas Spark double feature at the drive-in, and for Cheryl it was a favor that was to be repaid back in a timely manner, plus interest. 

They met there, Polly drove Betty in her car and pulled up next to Jason and Cheryl, who had driven, in Cheryl’s bright red 1960’s Chevy Impala. The plan for Betty and Jason to switch spots was defined before they even left, so better unbuckled her seatbelt and moved to get out but Polly grabbed her hand softly.

“Thanks for doing this Betts. I appreciate it more than you know. Jason made Cheryl promise not to be too mean.” Giving Betty the best smile she could knowing she was sending her off to spend time with someone she hates. 

“I am happy to do it Poll, you know that I support you no matter what. I can handle whatever crap Cheryl has to say.” Betty truly wanted to help her sister, despite it meaning Cheryl was involved, however she was dreading all the awful things Cheryl may say to her in the next hours. 

After getting out of the car, Betty met Jason on the way to her designated seat for the night. He said a quick thank you and that he appreciated what she was doing for them. Betty just nodded and smiled and said ‘ it’s no problem’.

She sat down in the passenger seat of the Impala, not looking at Cheryl, who gave her a sideways glance and rolled her eyes. 

“Relax, smurfette. My claws are put away tonight.” She said condescendingly and smirked. Betty did not reply but became confused when Cheryl put the car in reverse and backed up.

“Wait, where are we going?” Betty asked, looking at Cheryl.

“Well, I don’t know what kind of stuff you’re into Betty, but I, for one, do not want to even risk looking to my left and seeing your sister straddling my brother like some kind of beefy stag.” 

“Oh, c’mon Cheryl they would not do anything like that with so many other people around.”

Cheryl just gave her a pathetic, oh what you don’t know, kind of look as she pulled into a spot a few cars and rows away from their siblings. 

They didn’t speak for a few minutes, both scrolling through their phones, trying not to feel awkward in the silence. When the first movie began, Betty put her phone away and leaned forward, watching intently. 

“Oh no, do not tell me you’re into these cheesy, improbable nonsense they call movies, are you?” Cheryl said, looking at Betty with distaste.  
“Cheryl, they are good. Have you ever even tried watching one?” Betty replied, rolling her eyes at the girl next to her.

“Yes. And I would have barfed up my dinner except I would never do such a disgusting, gruesome thing. All these movies portray is a perfect person, falling in love with another perfect person. That’s not real life, that doesn’t happen, Betty. As much as you might want to find the perfect boy out there who is perfect and doesn’t have any flaws and doesn’t even take note of yours,” Cheryl gives Betty a pointed look here and seems like she’s holding back a mean comment, “it just will not happen.”

“First off Cheryl, everyone throws up, its a normal human thing. Secondly, these movies show couples working together and overcoming obstacles as a team. Like partners should.” 

“Oh, you poor, uncultured thing. You need to watch something from the 90’s.” 

“Like, what?” Betty bites back, becoming irritated with Cheryl’s assertion that she knows everything there is to know about what consists of a good romance movie.  
“Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride, Never Been Kissed, You’ve Got Mail, Notting Hill, the list goes on and on.” Cheryl declares. 

“Okay, closet monster for Julia Roberts much? And Pretty Woman? Isn’t that the one with the hooker?” Betty could not believe anyone could think anything with a hooker is a classic love story. 

“Hey, she has more talent in her pinky than you have in your whole body and she has legs for days. And that’s exactly the point. Yes, she was a hooker but Richard Gere saw her flaws and loved her anyway. Same thing in all the other movies. Love shouldn’t be meeting the perfect person, it should be meeting someone whose rights are so amazing to you, that you are able to get over their wrongs and accept them for who they are.” 

Betty could not believe she was having a conversation with Cheryl about love but what was even more surprising was that Cheryl actually had some insight on the topic. As much as she wanted to, she didn’t have a rebuttal.

“Yeah, I see your point.” She mumbled quietly, defeated.

Cheryl just smirked.

They watched the movie in silence, Betty really taking in how cheesy and unrealistic it actually was. Towards the end, Cheryl spoke softly and Betty wasn’t even sure that she was talking to her by the way her eyes were looking off in the distance, unfocused and cloudy. 

“I see the appeal though. Two perfect people overcome one obstacle and then everything throughout the rest of their life is perfect. Perfect jobs, perfect house, perfect kids. No conflict or fighting or yelling or-” Cheryl stopped talking when her phone went off, she picked up, scanned what Betty assumed was a text message and typed out a quick reply.

“Jason says they are skipping the second film and are heading over to Pop’s.” Cheryl looked at Betty, and her eyes were no longer hazed over and back to their normal, focused, cold selves. “Which means we are going to, so don’t try and convince me of staying to watch the other shit film.” She started the car and pulled out, without another word. 

They get milkshakes at Pop’s and talk idly about other movies, mostly the ones Cheryl likes. Cheryl refrains from saying anything else rude enough to note and then they each leave with their sibling and go home. Betty lays in bed for a while thinking about the side to Cheryl Blossom that no one knows and she falls asleep picturing red hair and brown eyes.


	2. Swimming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not super pleased with this but I was ready to move on. Next chapter will be scenes with Betty and Cheryl with other people. Not together at all but will be pretty short.

Sunday afternoon was the next time the group of four went out again. It warmed up quickly and Polly wanted to go swimming in one of the creek’s that extended off of Sweet Water River. When they got there, Polly and Jason walked a ways down the water’s edge, to give themselves privacy. 

“Swimming in this water is probably what gave you Coopers’ your diseases.” Cheryl snarled once the couple was gone. 

Claws are out today. Betty thought absently, as she didn’t even grant Chery a reply. 

The redhead released a fake, loud laugh and said, “Betty, I’m only kidding.” As if she remembered she was supposed to be nice to Betty on these little “dates”. 

“What do you get out of helping Jason, Cheryl?” Betty asked, genuinely curious.

“Besides the opportunity to remind you how much better I am than you?” 

Betty cast her a, seriously?, look. 

“I’m always a good sister to Jay-Jay.” She finally answered, exasperatedly, as if the answer was obvious. Betty had a hard-time believing that Cheryl would sacrifice her time and get nothing in return but didn’t question it further. 

Betty took off her the t-shirt and shorts that covered her bikini, sat down in the lawn chair she brought and pulled out a book. As Cheryl moved to do the same, the point of the blurred lines between Cheryl and Betty’s relationship begins.

Cheryl uses both her hands to grab the bottom of her shirt, crossing her arms. She pulls it over her head in one swift, fluid motion but time slows down for Betty. The more the older girl reveals of her cool, milky white skin, the harder Betty’s heart thumps in her chest. She admires the abs that Cheryl has obtained from all those River Vixen practices, that are well-defined but subtle. The blonde’s eyes drift to her supple, curved hips and images of sliding her hands around them invade her mind. She is so entranced by Cheryl’s body that she does not even know she’s staring.  
She watches her long, nimble fingers unbutton and unzip her faded blue jean shorts. Her hands push the clothing to her feet as Betty drags her eyes down the incredibly long, perfect legs. The red-head gracefully steps out of the material and the younger girl’s gaze skims back up her body. The black bikini she had on left little for imagination. The blues meet the long red hair that contrasts against pale skin so well, so beautifully and then they land on the chocolate seas that are Cheryl’s eyes. Which are looking right at her. Watching her stare. She looks surprised at the attention for a fraction of a second, her eyebrows are raised and her mouth is slightly agape. Betty can barely register that expression before it changes to a smug look, complete with Cheryl’s signature smirk. But Betty saw something else twinkle in her eyes, in fact, they looked excited. 

Betty was just confused. She was shocked by how much she liked watching Cheryl take her clothes off and by how captivated she was with her body. Sure, she had felt attracted to girls before, she wasn’t new to that. But, Cheryl?! There was no way she was attracted to Cheryl.

“I’d tell you to take a picture but I am a little worried about what kind of sick things you might do with it.” Cheryl’s voice breaks her from her thoughts and she realizes she’s still looking at her. Betty blushes and looks away, but Cheryl doesn’t say anything else about it so Betty pushes her thoughts away. 

The spend the next half hour reading separately, Betty was surprised to see Cheryl actually reading. Then the pale-skinned teen claims she needs to move to the shade before she develops skin cancer. She looks at Betty expectantly and she knows she wants her to follow her. So, she does. 

They don’t revisit their books once they’re in the protectiveness of the trees. Instead they talk about them. Betty talking about the complex internal conflict that’s taking place within the main character and Cheryl describes her favorite character, (the villain, if that’s any surprise at all), and how there’s more depth to her than meets the eye. Betty wonders if she’s reflecting  
on herself but doesn’t ask. They talk about other books they’ve read and realize they have read a lot of the same ones and banter civilly about the plots. Cheryl refrains from making any snide comments and actually seems to enjoy the conversation. 

A while later, both girls had been silent for a few minutes, Betty stands up and walks to the shore, sitting at the edge, dipping her toes in the water. She glances back at Cheryl. She doesn’t know if what was the enjoyable conversation they were having or if Cheryl has been a lot nicer to her than usual the past two days but Betty is suddenly brave. She cups the water in her left hand and flings it back towards Cheryl, who was far enough away it just barely got to her. 

“Elizabeth Cooper!” Cheryl screams. Betty doesn’t know why the way Cheryl uses her full name creates a warm, butterfly like feeling deep her stomach. “You’re going to regret that.”  
If it was any other day, Betty would be scared for her life. But the tone of the older girl’s isn’t as venomous as it usually is when she really wants revenge. 

Betty just laughed in response and Cheryl froze. It was a lively, angelic laugh and Cheryl found herself wanting to hear it again. So, she scooped up a small amount of sand and sends it towards the other girl, with hopes that Betty will release her joy once again. She does. Cheryl swoons before she realizes what’s happening. Was she happy to be spending time with Betty Cooper of all people? She quickly leans back and puts a stony face on.

“Knock off the shenanigans Betty Blooper. We’re not chummy friends out for the day. We’re doing our siblings favors.” Cheryl’s voice is back to the short, curtness that Betty is used to. She’s not stung by her words though. She knows she got Cheryl to loosen up a little and she’s going to make it her personal goal to see it happen more often.


	3. Change

Changes  
The next night Betty was sitting on her front porch, having a cup of warm tea despite it being over 75 degrees. It helped calm her down. And with the constant, overwhelming thoughts of Cheryl Blossom, Betty really needed to calm down. She was having a hard time of getting the image of Cheryl taking her clothes off by the creek out of her head. Sometimes her mind would wander and she’d see Cheryl doing the same exact thing but they’d be in Betty’s room, next to her bed. Cheryl wouldn’t have a bikini on underneath but instead a lace bra and underwear. Betty would always stop these daydreams before they went too far. It was Cheryl Fucking Blossom and Betty didn’t why she was having these thoughts towards a person who has almost always been nothing but awful to her.   
“Hey, Betts.”  
Betty turns at the familiar masculine voice and sees Archie standing at the bottom of her steps. It looks like he had just come back from a run considering he was shirtless and sweaty. Betty had seen him like this a hundred times and every time she felt her face flush and her heart beat faster. But not tonight. Tonight was different. Betty was totally unaffected by Archie’s bare chest and his charming smile.   
“Hey Arch. How was the run?” She asks, before she can get anymore confused.  
“As good as it can be I suppose. Started work for my dad today and I’m sore as hell.”  
“Don’t overwork yourself.” Betty replied, concerned for her friend as always. “I’m sure the work for your dad will keep you in shape for football.”  
Archie grins, “Don’t worry about me Betts. You got your own self to worry about. I didn’t even see you this weekend. Were you shut up in your room reading some book?”  
Betty thinks about telling him that she technically hung out with Cheryl this weekend but she doesn’t, rationing it with ‘it would be too hard to explain’. Even though it really was not, she was just doing Polly a favor, right?   
Instead she just shrugs, hoping it’s enough of an answer for Archie. It is.   
“Well, Reggie is having a party this weekend. He told me I could bring whoever I wanted. You should come. It’ll be a lot of fun, I promise.”  
Parties weren’t Betty’s thing. She didn’t like being surrounded by a lot of people who were drunk and sweaty. But it was Reggie’s party. Which means Cheryl would be there. She pictured the girl again for who knows what time that day, only this time it was made. she pictured her laughing with girls from the River Vixens, her cheeks flushed a red from the alcohol in her system, swaying her beautiful hips to the music..  
“Yea, I’ll go.” Betty says quickly, saying she just needed to say something to get the picture out of her mind before it escalated too far.  
“Really?” Archie raises his eyebrows in shock at how easily he got Betty to agree to going but hurriedly continues before she changes her mind. “Kevin and Ron are coming to so you can just say you’re staying the night at one of their places.”   
Betty nods already figuring that would be the lie she tells her overprotective mother, “I’m gonna head inside Arch, and you really need to go take a shower,” she said playfully. “Breakfast at Pop’s tomorrow?”  
“Sure, Betts, anytime.” The boy replied as he turned around and went inside his own house.  
Cheryl… 

The same night, Cheryl sat in the garden at Thornhill, staring out over the dark property, slightly lighted with outdoor lamps. She’d come out here to clear her head. She couldn’t stop thinking of Betty Fucking Cooper. Who the hell was she to think she could just infiltrate Cheryl’s mind in the way that she has? Every time she closes her eyes she hears the blonde’s laugh or see blue skies in the shape of Betty’s eyes. She imagined reaching out and pulling Betty’s hair out from the flawless ponytail it was always in, letting it fall, wild and long to her shoulders. She imagines she would look beautiful like that. Cheryl’s thoughts are interrupted by Jason’s voice.  
“Hey Cher.” He says as he sits down next to her. He looks at her carefully, he can tell something is up.  
“Jay-Jay.” Cheryl sighs and leans against her brother’s shoulder.  
“What’s up with you Cher? Is it mom and dad?” Jason. Always the protective big brother.  
“No, no. They’ve been good. I just..” Cheryl doesn’t know what to say. She’s never lied to her brother before but if she’s lying to herself about Betty Cooper, then it doesn’t count. “I’m bored. Now that I don’t have chaos to cause at school, there isn’t much fun in life.”  
Jason smiles, Cheryl must’ve convinced him. “Well, luckily for you, Reggie is having a party on Friday night.”  
A party, Cheryl thinks, is the perfect way to get my mind of Betty.  
“I’m in.” she confirms and smiles back at him.


	4. The Party

The Party  
Betty follows Archie and Veronica into the party at Reggie’s, Kevin walking next to her. The first thing she notices is that it’s loud, smells like alcohol and body odor, and is far too crowded for her comfort zone. Ronnie and Betty wait by the stairs while Kevin and Archie pour them drinks and shots in the kitchen. Betty already feels the need to loosen up and diminish her anxiety, so she gladly takes a shot of BV, and then another. Then grabs a drink from Archie without asking what’s in it. He raises his eyebrows at her but says nothing. Veronica and Kevin don’t do the same.  
“Damn. Get it girl. But don’t think I’m taking care of you when you get sick.” Kevin says, stoically.  
“For real Betts. Are you okay?” Ronnie asks, being her usual concerned self.  
“No no. I’m fine. Just trying to make up for the week of summer I’ve already lost doing nothing.” Betty says quickly.  
The group makes their way to the basement of the house, which is completely finished, has multiple couches, a pool table, random tables for drinking games, and a door leading out to the patio.  
Betty searches around the room and finds Cheryl sitting on one of the couches. The redhead looks up and makes eye contact with her. For a split second she looks surprised, but then she turns back to her little minions sitting with her. She laughs at something they said. Although she knew better, Betty still felt a sting in her heart at the way Cheryl ignored in.  
But Betty was right about her looking beautiful like that. Flushed cheeks with a drink in her hand. This reminded the blonde of her own drink, which she instantly brings to her lips and gulps, letting the alcohol burn down her throat as she tried to push thoughts of Cheryl Blossom out of her head. 

2 Hours Later

Cheryl was watching Betty. She watched her lift shot glasses that were brimming with whiskey to her lips and tip them back. The way she scrunched her face up slightly at the taste made Cheryl smile. Internally, of course. She watched as she became more carefree. She laughed louder, stared longer, spoke to more and more people she didn’t know.  
The female Blossom caught herself wishing that it was her arm that Betty drunkenly grabbed onto, playing it off like she was just being endearing when really she had tripped over her own feet, and that it was her Betty was telling her dumb jokes to, the ones that even Betty knew were dumb and were reserved only for when her inhibitions were hindered. 

1 More Hour Later

She does not know what she’s thinking. Obviously the alcohol has disrupted her judgment greatly but how in the world would she think it would be okay to go up to Cheryl and try to talk to her without being reprimanded. Yet, that’s exactly what she does. The girl was finally left alone, leaning against the wall, observing everyone. Betty walked up on her side and Cheryl didn’t see her.  
“Hey Cher!” Betty yelled over the music and over the blood that was pounding in her own ears. Once again she reached out to steady herself with Cheryl’s arm.  
Cheryl looked down at the hand that just grabbed her. It was soft and warm and she wanted so badly for it to stay but.. people were watching. She couldn’t give people the impression that she just let people touch her however, whenever. Especially not in the way that Betty Cooper was now. She didn’t hold her hand still, but instead traced her arm up to bicep and then back down. Cheryl couldn’t let it happen.  
“Whoa, Betty and the Jets. Either you’ve had too much to drink or you’re pathetically in love with me. Either way, I’d rather have attention from that half-dead ficus plant over there.” The words burned coming out of Cheryl’s mouth. The way Betty snatched her hand away and her eyes went wide and held a look of pain, made Cheryl’s heart hurt. But she kept her face stony and watched as Betty Cooper turned and walked out the basement door.  
She was going to let her go and try and forget the whole incident until she saw Chuck Clayton follow Betty out the door not even a minute later. Cheryl looked around but no one else seemed to notice including Betty’s so-called friends. She rolled her eyes and waited a few minutes, hoping Betty or Chuck would re-enter the door, but neither did. So, Cheryl went out the door herself to find Betty and hopefully not with Chuck.  
She walked to the edge of the house and as she got closer she heard the terrible sound of a scared Betty Cooper.  
“Chuck, please just stop.” Betty pleaded.  
“C’mon Betts. I know you want it.” Chuck cooed back, disgustingly.  
Cheryl rounded the corner of the house and there they were. Chuck had Betty pressed against the house, his hands pinning Betty’s above her head and his face was buried in her neck while his hips pushed into hers.  
Cheryl could feel her blood boiling. “Chuck Clayton. I suggest you back the fuck off right now, before I tear your life to shreds. And don’t think that I won’t. You know what I’m capable of.”  
Just the sound of Cheryl’s voice made Chuck release Betty instantly, but he glared at Cheryl.  
“You know Blossom, one day soon you aren’t going to have complete control of this place.”  
“Is that a threat Clayton? Because I have enough dirt on you alone to take you down, let alone your corrupt father.”  
He stalks off without replying.  
Betty didn’t say anything, just looked at Cheryl in disbelief.  
“No need to say thank you Helen Cooper.” The heroine said nonchalantly despite the fact that she was aching to hold Betty, to ask her if she was okay.  
“You just.. blew me off,” Betty starts, slowly, like its hard for her to find her words, “Why did you save me from Chuck?”  
Cheryl breathed a sigh, slowly, deliberately, while she thought.  
“I was rude to you, Betty, because I have an image to uphold. That image includes that I don’t need anyone, even close friendships. Just because I don’t want you ruining that, doesn’t mean I want you to get assaulted by the sleeze-ball that is Chuck Clayton.” Cheryl stepped forward and grabbed Betty’s arm the way that she had done to her. Betty looks down at her arm and back up at Cheryl, and down at her arm and back up at Cheryl.  
And once again, the alcohol in her made her brave and turned her body and moved closer to the other, so that she was pushing her towards the wall. Cheryl’s back hit the brick with a slight gasp and she grabbed onto Betty’s other forearm which only encouraged the blonde more. She lifted her hands, with Chery’s still wrapped around her arms, and cupped the beautiful girl’s cheeks. And then she kissed her.  
It was slow and sensual and although, mostly lips the two girls’ tongues would lightly touch every few seconds. Betty slid her hands up her face and into her hair and pulled her closer. Cheryl “hmm”ed in response and Betty decided she really liked that.  
Cheryl had just wrapped her arms around Betty’s neck when a yelling voice interrupted them.  
“BETTY!”  
It was Veronica, it sounded like she was around the side of the house, near the exit. Betty pulled back.  
“I should go before she finds us. I wouldn’t want to ruin your image, she says bitterly.” And she left Cheryl, leaning against the wall, biting her lip.


End file.
